


Best Friends

by iamawoken



Series: Learning to Love [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-01-06 08:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18384530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamawoken/pseuds/iamawoken
Summary: Where Callum and Rayla talk about their friendship and fall in love. Lots of fluff. Lots of cuddles. Lots of hurt/comfort.





	1. Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this is my first ever fan fiction. Also, it’s my first time writing in a long while. There is just so much love/support for this ship that I decided it would be a crime if I didn’t contribute. This one shot could potentially be part of a series I am planning, so I will leave the chapters open. Get ready for some serious fluff. These kids love each other, they just don’t know it yet. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Also, I realized after writing this that I totally forgot about Zym...I will add him in later chapters if there are any. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, shout out to everyone on tumblr and Ao3 that gave Rayla the nickname Ray in their fictions. I hope it’s ok that I used it. It’s totally adorable.

They had been traveling together for over a month now, Rayla realized one afternoon. Getting out of the human kingdoms had been realitivley easy, Xadia had been much more...tiring.

After they evaded sol Regem, it had been a constant game of cat and mouse with members of the sun fire military. Only in the last week did they finally seem to escape the constant patrols. Rayla was tired, being on constant lookout for the unknown was exhausting.

“Ray, are you ok?” Callum’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Yea...I’m just a bit tired.” She responded with a quick smile.

She wasn’t sure when Callum had started calling her ‘Ray’, but she didn’t hate it. In fact, there were a number of quirks they had developed after traveling with each other for over a month. Sometimes, when it was cold at night, they would find themselves curled up close together...

“Rayla...are you paying attention?” Callum invaded her thoughts once again.

“Oh yes, definitely.” She lied, “but what did you say again?”

Callum rolled his eyes, not quite irritated. Rayla was usually hyper focused, but sometimes he caught her lost in thought. He enjoyed those moments, when he was able to watch her violet eyes glaze over, shifting from one place to another. Sometimes, she would absent mindedly brush a strand of her growing white hair behind her ear, as if she was trying to grasp a thought just out of her reach. Callum found it cute. Cute. Wait, when did that happen? He wasn’t sure.

“Just that we should stop soon, it’s getting dark.” He replied, shaking that last thought from his mind.

“Oh right, I hadn’t noticed. I guess because it still looks like daytime to me!” Rayla quipped, shooting a half-smile in his direction.

“Yea, Yea...I get it. Your an elf, you have great vision. We humans are physically inferior.” Callum replied, half smirking, half realizing he was still slightly discouraged by his lack of physical prowess, even if he could still do magic.

Rayla noticed immediately that Callum was a little crestfallen. She turned around and grabbed his hands. She stared directly into his bright green eyes, “Callum, you know that’s not what I meant. You are incredible in so many ways. We are a team, and I could not have gotten here without you. We are doing this together.” She spoke softly, but with authority.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Callum squeezed her hands and whispered, “thank you.” Rayla smiled, not wanting to let go of him “come on, dummy, let’s go find somewhere to settle down for the night.”

————

They had been lucky, there was a cave not too far from the path they had been traveling. They ate in silence tonight, both lost in their own thoughts.

Rayla was thinking about her life in Xadia. She was constantly training to become an Assassin, it was what she had always wanted; to redeem herself for her parent’s betrayal. She had found very little time for friends. Her path to redemption was all that mattered. Was that right? Had she truly had no friends? She pulled her legs inward, resting her head on top of her knees.

“Rayla?” Callum snapped her back to the present.

“Yea?”

“It’s really cold tonight...” Callum’s lips were blue. His poor human body could not produce enough heat to get through the night, of that she had no doubt. “Can I come over there?”

Rayla’s ears slanted a little more upwards, she hated to admit it, but she liked it when he slept next to her. “Of course, wouldn’t be a very good companion if I let you freeze to death out here, would I?”

Callum chuckled, “I suppose not, thanks.” He got up, and sat next to her, just brushing her arm and leg. Rayla flushed pink, even though they had done this several times, it always felt...intimate. She wasn’t really sure what to make of her feelings. She let out a long sigh, her thoughts returning to her childhood.

“Is something the matter?” Callum asked, slightly concerned.

When they had first started traveling together, she would always just say “oh no, it’s nothing.” She had learned better by now. Sometimes, it was as if Callum could peer into her very soul, so she knew better than to hide it.

“Yea...I was thinking about what life was like before all of this happened. I realized that I’ve never had a best friend, or someone that I could count on outside of Runnan and Tinkerer. The cycle of revenge and redemption I have been chasing my whole life meant that I never really became close with anyone.” She sighed again, letting her head rest against the rock they were both leaning on.

“I’m sorry Ray. You know, I kind of know how you feel. Outside of my Dad and my brother, I never really had anyone either. Sure, I was friends with Soren and Claudia, but I was never as close to them as I am with...” his voice trailed off, as if he realized what he was about to say and thought better of it.

It was Rayla’s turn to peer into his soul. She turned to stare him directly in his eyes and said, “As you are with me, Callum? It’s ok, you can say it. I feel the exact same thing about you. You are my first and only best friend.”

Callum’s heart skipped a beat, or three. What was this feeling? He and Rayla had always gotten along, but he never thought they would come this far. She cared for him whenever he was feeling sad or mournful for his father. She kept him company, she protected him, and she always thought of him first. She was most certainly his best friend, maybe more.

“Yes, you are my best friend to, Rayla. You care for me in a way that no one else has ever been able to.” He settled to leave out the “maybe more” part.

“Of course, you mean a lot to me, dummy. Now try and get some rest!” Rayla smiled at Callum fondly and ran her hand closest to him through his hair, being careful to commit the feeling to memory. She had done this a few times when he was feeling down or panicked. It always had a calming effect on him. As an added bonus, it made her heart flutter to be so close to him. She would have to deal with that feeling later.

A few minutes passed and Rayla started drifting to sleep. Before she could, Callum spoke up again, “Hey Ray, I’m still really cold.”

Maybe it was the grogginess, or the confidence brought about by the conversation they just had, but Rayla simply said, “just a sec, I have an idea”. She shifted her body to be fully against Callum’s, making sure he could be as warm as possible. Then, she laid her head against his shoulder, taking extra care that her horns didn’t stab him. She was able to slot herself in just a way that Callum’s head and chin fit right between her two horns. Finally, she took his right hand in her left and buried herself into his arm. She was quite comfortable. “Is this better?”

Callum had a mini heart attack. He wasn’t sure when he snapped back into consciousness, but when he did, he was acutely aware of how Rayla was pressed up against him, this was the closest they had ever been. Her touch gave him goosebumps, but even more, gave him comfort. He felt safe. Next, he observed her horns. This was also the closest he had ever been to them. They were beautiful in every way. There were intricate lines and patterns that cris crossed the entire length of her horns. Also, they were impossibly smooth. He rubbed his cheek against them as he got comfortable. Finally, and he wasn’t totally sure how this was possible, but Rayla’s hair smelt like moon berries.

“Um, yes, way better, I’m a lot warmer now. Rayla....your horns, their beautiful.”

Rayla thanked the Gods above that Callum couldn’t see her face. She flushed a brighter red than even bait could manage. Her eyes stung, no one had ever complimented her looks, especially her horns. That was a very intimate gesture for elves, and Moonshadow elves in particular...but Callum couldn’t have known that, could he?

“Oh uh well, thank you,” was all she could manage.

They stayed silent for a bit, relishing every second they had together, not thinking about the day to come.

Rayla finally managed to ask one last question: “Callum, can you promise me we will always stick together? Everyone I have ever loved or cared for has always left me in some way or another. I don’t want that to happen with us.” Her ears had drooped as she asked the question. She knew it was a lot to request from someone who’s family she almost murdered, but she truly hoped Callum would reciprocate.

Callum wasted no time, “We will always stick together no matter what, Ray. I’ve experienced the same feeling, and I will never ever do that to you”.

Rayla let out a nervous breath, “Thank you Callum, that means so much to me. I will always stick by you too. Now let’s get some sleep, otherwise you dumb human body won’t be able to function tomorrow.”

With that, they leaned closer into one-another and sleep enveloped them both.

That night, they dreamt of each other.

\----

Art for this chapter by @[thisisnowarayllumblog](https://thisisnowaraylumblog.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Thank you so much!!!


	2. Protector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum is left alone. Rayla learns a devastating truth. Much comforting follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the love with the first chapter! I have decided to make this a series. 
> 
> This particular chapter was inspired by all the angst that Aaron is producing on twitter these days. I decided to write something “devastating” with proper comfort to follow it up. Lots of fluff, lots of hurt/comfort. Please enjoy!

Rayla had been gone too long. They had reached the Moonshadow village she used to call home early in the afternoon. Callum had desperately wanted to go with her when she said that they needed supplies. Rayla wouldn’t allow it, “Callum, your elf disguise and Moonshadow accent may have been passable to the Sunfire Elves, but my people will see right through you” she said with a tender frown. 

“I promise, once we return Zym and the world is peaceful again, I will bring you back and show you everything. But until then, I need you to stay here and be safe. I can’t have anything happen to you.” Her ears had tilted down a little on the last sentence. Callum hadn’t been sure of what to make of that. 

“Ok Ray. But please, don’t be gone too long, Zym might drive me crazy,” they both laughed at that. Zym had developed this annoying habit of flying circles between the two of them, brushing them a little closer together each time he passed by. The effect was that he and Rayla would essentially trip over each other. The only way they found to get him to stop, was to interlock their arms and walk lockstep with one another. Even then, Zym didn’t look completely impressed. Dragons were weird. 

With that, Rayla wrapped herself around Callum, pulling him close, “don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone, dummy, stay right here. If anyone comes, run away as fast as you can. I will find you.”

“Ok, I will.” Callum whispered, his breath taken away by the moon berry scent of her hair. He clung to her, holding her as tight as he thought appropriate, only for her to squeeze him tighter. When they finally released one another, their cheeks were burning red. They ignored it. Then that was it, Rayla leaped into the trees above, disappearing faster than the red hue in his face. 

But now, now she had been gone too long. Early after noon turned into early evening. Soon, the sky was painted with the yellow and orange hues of sunset. As the sun set, panic rose inside of Callum’s chest. 

He quickly realized that the last few hours had been the longest him and Rayla had ever spent apart and Gods, did he miss her. 

He missed the way her piercing violet eyes would steal glances at him while they were walking silently on their journey. He missed her laugh, and how it felt one with the nature around them. He missed her horns and the silver-white hair that effortlessly draped around them. Finally, he missed her presence and the safety and warmth he felt around her. 

He couldn’t do this alone, but most of all, he couldn’t do this without her. 

Zym was sitting in his lap now, trying to help. But Callum knew what was coming. His breaths shortened and his heart rate quickened. During his last panic attack, Rayla had been there to help him through it. Not this time, though. Tears were stinging his eyes now, he had let his thoughts spiral out of control. He saw flashes of life without Rayla, his best friend, and he couldn’t handle it. As his vision began to blur and his consciousness began to drift, he heard the faint sound of leaves rustling as a figure dropped from the treetop above. It was Rayla. 

————

Rayla’s face was still burning red when she jumped into the treetops. Why did hugging Callum feel so good? Why did she feel so safe around him, so open? She was an Assassin. Assassins were supposed to be closed off, aloof, only focused on the mission. But she couldn’t be any of those things around Callum. In fact, she didn’t want to be those things around him. She shoved the thoughts out of her head...for now. 

It took her about an hour to get to her village. She would’ve been there faster, but she was being very cautious so that no one would see her. She was unsure of how her people would greet her, they would know by now that she never completed her mission. In her culture, that was a disgrace. 

Then she saw the message board right outside the entrance to her town. It was an image of herself, staring back at her with the simple caption: “Traitor to the Dragon King and Queen: Reward if Captured, Dead or Alive”. However, the message below it was even more devastating: “Funeral for Runnan the Kingslayer.” Runnan was dead. Runnan was dead and it was her fault. For the first time since her parents left her, Rayla crumbled to the ground and began to sob. 

————

She didn’t know how long she had been sobbing, but when she stopped, there was only one thought left in her mind, “I need to get to Callum.” He was the last remaining spec of light in what had suddenly become a much darker world. Rayla pulled herself up and jumped back into the treetop. Then, she began to run. She ran from her village, her old way of life, and the culture that now despised her. She ran towards a new beginning, hope, and her only comfort. She ran towards Callum. 

————

The moment Rayla saw Callum, she knew what was wrong. Ever since his father was murdered by her people...by Runnan...he would occasionally get panic attacks. She knew Callum saw them as a sign of weakness, of insecurity, but that’s not how she viewed them. She saw them as a much needed emotional release, a way to cope with the world as it was. 

She made it to his side in less than a second. She took his face in her hands, rubbing circles on his cheeks and said, “Callum, I am here. Breathe, just breathe.”

“...ayla, I thought you left ‘e,” his words were disjointed and whispered. But she could understand. 

“Never Callum, I will never leave your side, remember? We promised each other in that cave a few weeks ago.” She pleaded with him, wanting him to know just how serious she was. She would die for this human, she had no doubt. 

“I ‘memeber. I just, can’t do this without you. I don’t want to do this without you.” The color was returning to his face and his breathing was back to normal. Rayla continued sitting on her knees and brought Callum’s face into her shoulder. She started stroking his head where his horns ought to be. “You’ll never have to.” She speaks it as if it was natural law and he doesn’t question her. Instead, he adjusts his head to look into her eyes. 

Something is wrong, he notices immediately. Rayla’s normally brilliant violet eyes are bloodshot. Her hair is disheveled, and her eye markings look damp. She hadn’t just been crying, she had been sobbing. 

“Rayla, what is wrong?” It was his turn to take her face into his hands. In any other circumstance, he would’ve been incredibly nervous. But not tonight, not now, because Rayla needed him. 

Rayla doesn’t try to hide it, “Runnan, my mentor and closest thing to family that I have is dead and my people blame me for his death”. It came out quickly. But Rayla could see a shift in Callum’s expression. From fear, to sorrow. “Callum, I know he was the one that killed your dad. The person that raised me and loved me after my parents left has caused you untold pain, I am so sorry to bring it up.”

“Rayla, don’t apologize. The people who raised us were products of their times. It’s nobody’s fault. He raised you, and you are kind, strong, and the most caring person I have ever met. That is what matters. You are his legacy, not the fact the he killed my Dad.” Callum’s voice was firm, yet loving. Loving? She ignored that. 

“Thank you, Callum.” Tears still stung her eyes. She buried herself into his shoulder, sobs starting again. Callum stroked her face, wiping the tears from her Moonshadow markings as they flowed down. Eventually, Rayla moves one of his hands to her horns. Callum is beyond nervous to touch them. But he pushes through, following Rayla’s lead. He uses his thumb to run down the tip of her horn all the way to where the base meets her skull. They are cool to the touch and softer than any of the fine linens in his home. He continues the motion, slowly stroking her horns. Rayla’s sobs begin to soften, until nothing is left but her soft breathing. 

“Thank you”, she whispers, falling into a fitful sleep. 

“Of course Ray...I, I.” Callum realizes just soon enough to stop the last word from leaving his mouth. Zym perks his head up and whines, as if he is unhappy about something. Was he really going to say what he thought he was going to say? He didn’t know, and he wasn’t ready to think about it yet. 

There would be no sleep for him tonight. It was Callum’s turn to be the protector.


	3. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum watch a sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short, I really wanted to do at least one of the Rayllum week prompts! Takes place immediately after chapter two.

When Rayla woke right before dawn the next morning, she was immediately aware of how her head was still leaning on Callum’s shoulder, they had not shifted at all in the night. Her face reddens slightly, Callum must’ve taken great care not to move. As she opened her eyes, she wiped away the eye crustys that developed from all the tears she shed the night before. 

This brought her back to a moment, two months ago, when she wiped away one of Callum’s eye crustys. It had been a moment of weakness she told herself then. She was on the verge of losing someone she cared about, so of course her feelings got the best of her. But what about now? She and Callum had become nearly inseparable, minus yesterday. Yesterday. Her eyes started to water thinking about it. She couldn’t believe that Runnan was gone. Sure, he had been tough on her, but she knew he loved her. Now, everyone was gone. She had no one left to love. The world felt cold and lonely. 

Callum stirred and groaned slightly when his head brushed against Rayla’s horn. It dawned on her as quickly as it had the day before: she wasn’t alone, not as long as she had Callum. The human boy whose family she had intended to murder just a few months ago was now her best friend, and the only person she had left. She realized as she had so many times before, she would do anything for Callum to keep him safe, even if it meant...but there was no time to think about that now. 

“Raylaaaa?” A groggy, sleep deprived Callum said. “Yes Callum?” she smiled fondly, enjoying the way he dragged out her name. “The sun is rising, look!”

She hadn’t even noticed that the sun had begun to rise, she was too preoccupied watching Callum. She adored how often he got excited—no matter how grave their circumstances, or how sad they were, he would always find something to be excited about. She loved that about him. Wait...

Callum snapped her out of her realization, “Xadian sunrises are so amazing. The colors are more vibrant here!” He was right, the dark blue sky of the night gave way, slowly being overtaken by deep oranges and yellows. The colors mixed across the sky at random, slowly illuminating the world around it. As the sunrise turned to early morning, Callum commented with a slight smile, “that was beautiful.”

Rayla, staring at the human boy and his deep green eyes responded with pink tinging the top of her cheeks, “yea, yea it is...”


	4. Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla talks about her family. Full moon shenanigans. Callum comes to a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I am a little late posting this. But this is for Rayllum week day four! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I also had some editing help, so the quality should be better. Hope you guys enjoy!

The days following, Ralya thought a lot about Callum. He was a human, she was an elf, there couldn’t possibly be a future there, could there? Did she even like him? She had never had feelings for anyone before, at least, not like this. 

She tried to ignore her thoughts, instead focusing on the path they were walking. They were deep in Moonshadow territory now, following a river that was rarely trafficked. After learning of Runnan’s death and being ostracized from her culture, Rayla didn’t want to take any chances being discovered. After all, they had precious cargo to deliver. The path was easy enough. Dusty, loose gravel crunched underneath their feet as they walked in silence. Soon, they reached a particularly interesting part of the forest. 

The trees here were no more than ten feet tall, the green of the leaves vibrant against the sun. Still, the trees were short compared to the ancient giants they were used to. The wildlife was different too. It seemed as if life was more abundant in this part of the forest. 

“Why is this part of the forest so different, Ray?” Rayla blushed at the nickname. Damnit. 

“Oh uh, well there was a big fire here a few years after I was born. Apparently, a young sunfire dragon got lost in the woods and started burning everything to a crisp. The fire lasted for days and my parents were so worried that we would lose our home. Luckily, our mages were able to stop the fire here. The baby dragon got in ALOT of trouble.” Rayla chuckled at the thought of an all powerful dragon being scolded by its parents. Then she glanced at Zym, acutely aware of how she and Callum scolded him the last time he incinerated a tree. 

“Oh wow! That’s crazy. Also, Rayla, that’s the first time you’ve ever mentioned your parents since the first week we met. I know you don’t like to talk about it and it’s ok if you don’t want to tell me, but I want to know everything about you.” Callum said, a careful tone in his voice. 

Rayla froze. She really didn’t want to talk about her parents. But, Callum was being so sweet about it and she always felt better about things after she talked to him. Also, and Callum didn’t know this, but Moonshadow elves did not share anything about their families until after they had started courting. There was another problem, she had no idea about human courting customs. Ugh. 

“Raylaaaaa. I didn’t mean to pry.” Callum said, gaining her attention again. 

“No Callum, it’s ok. I am really sorry. I realized that you’ve told me so much about your family, but I’ve told you almost nothing. That’s not fair, because I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.”

“As you know, my family is a bit of a disgrace in our culture. But it wasn’t always like that. My parents had me when they were young. Things were great for a time, at least that’s how I remember it. But, when they were chosen to join the Dragon guard, they rushed at the opportunity. The dropped me off at Runnan’s and never came back.” Rayla’s ears started to droop “I waited for them every day for two years. I missed them so much Callum, but they left me. When I heard hey ran away from the Dragon Guard, it didn’t surprise me. They ran away from anything they pretended to care about. That’s who they are.”

She was almost crying at this point. Callum wasted no time, he enveloped her in a loving hug, placing his forehead against hers. It was a sweet gesture, even if Callum did have to stand a little taller to reach her. 

“I’m sorry Rayla, that must’ve been really hard.” Callum said softly. 

“It’s ok Callum. After I realized they were never coming back, Runnan started training me. Which led me to my first mission, which led me to you. So, not all bad.” she smiled softly, not truly believing how different her life had become in the last few months. 

After several minutes of silence, Callum spoke up again, “it’s getting dark, we should make camp.” Rayla humphed, but broke away. “Ok, let’s find some food.” She said. 

—————

Callum had forgotten it was the night of the full moon. There had been three full moons since he and Rayla started traveling. Each one had been a wondrous experience for Callum. Watching Rayla appear and disappear at a moment’s notice was mesmerizing. Tonight would be no different. 

“Hey Callum!” Rayla whispered in his ear. He jumped. She loved scaring him like this. It was a great way to pass time. “Rayla! Ugh you always do this,” Callum let out an exasperated sigh. 

Rayla appeared again, visible but still slightly see-through. “Do what, Callum?” She rolled her eyes playfully, disappearing again. “Catch me if you can!” This was new. Rayla had never made Callum chase her before. It was hardly a fair game. Rayla was a trained Assassin, an elf, completely invisible, and was drawing her strength from the light of the moon. He would never catch her, but he might as well try. 

Callum started running, crashing through the underbrush as he heard Rayla jumping from tree to tree. She wasn’t being quiet, it was almost as if she wanted him to catch her. “Come on dummy, you’re a little slow,” he heard her taunt. She was obviously enjoying this. 

Suddenly, Callum was in the middle of a clearing. He stopped running, gasping for breath and listening for Rayla in between his loud breathing. Suddenly, he felt Rayla’s hands grab him from behind, encircling his stomach. Her grip was strong, yet delicate at the same time. 

He could feel her hesitation when she said, “hello, my prince.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, she had always made fun of the fact that human royalty had special designations. Still, something felt different, she had never referred to him as ‘my’ before. 

Rayla set her chin on his shoulder, automatically moving her head so her horns wouldn’t be a problem. 

“It looks like you caught me,” Callum said shakily. He was probably still tired from the run, Rayla reasoned. 

“I sure did, was there ever any doubt? Come, let’s look at the moon together.” Rayla took Callum’s hand, noting how perfectly her fingers interlaced with his dumb five-fingered appendage.

The full moon always gave Rayla unbridled confidence, but this was completely different than the normal teasing Callum had to endure. This night was special. By the time they were both sitting down, Rayla still had not let go of his hand, and Callum wasn’t going to complain. He always marveled at how soft Rayla’s skin was. For being a warrior that could likely kill an entire Katolin platoon in under a minute, her hands still felt delicate.

As they watched the moon continue to rise into the night sky, Rayla shifted herself to lean against Callum’s shoulder. Neither of them could deny it, they liked being close to each other. The closeness provided a feeling of both safety and comfort that neither one could quite explain. 

Callum didn’t know how late is was when he heard Rayla’s breathing slow and become deeper, but when he looked over to her, he was not prepared for what he saw.

She was no longer transparent. Callum could see her pink-purple skin softly glowing under the white rays of the moonlight. Her face was what struck him the most, though. The moonlight danced across her skin in a way Callum could only describe as magical. The Moonshadow markings underneath her eyes were glowing slightly, illuminating the rest of her face. Her hair was practically shinning, if not a little messy. Finally, her horns, delicately arranged in a way so as not to hurt him, were shinning wildly in the night.

Callum’s heart skipped a couple beats. Rayla was beautiful, there was no denying it now. Was it normal to think your best friend was beautiful? That last time Callum had though anyone was beautiful was when he liked Claudia. Oh no. Did he like Rayla. Part of him wanted to panic at the thought, but not tonight. Tonight, he would enjoy the view.


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elf Callum. Moonshadow village. Callum and Rayla need to talk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the end.

Rayla was finally going to allow Callum to go into a town with her. It was a remote Moonshadow town, one of the last ones on their way out of Moonshadow elf territory. Luckily, it didn’t seem as if news of Rayla’s betrayal had come this far, yet. 

“Callum, you need to hold still, I can’t help you if you just keep giggling the whole time!” Rayla was annoyed. For the last hour, she had been trying to paint Moonshadow tattoos on Callum’s arms and face. His arms had been easy, but his face was proving to be much more difficult.

“I can’t help it! Your fingers just tickle me so much!” He giggled, trying to lean into her touch while also subconsciously pulling away every time the sensation from her fingers brushed his cheek. 

“What, is it because I only have four fingers, dummy? The pinko wouldn’t even be useful for this! Really, it’s not useful for anything, like at all.” Rayla pondered her remark, wondering how humans evolved to have five fingers in the first place. She guessed it would always be a mystery to her. 

Callum was still giggling away. “No! They’re just so soft!” Rayla blushed, still trying to concentrate on the tattoos. 

“Ok, I think I’m finished now. Take a look.” Rayla pointed to the water in the pool beside them. Callum’s eyes lit up. 

“They’re just like yours!” Callum seemed excited by the elongated, upside down arrows Rayla had drawn underneath his eyes. They were near replicas of her’s. 

“Do you like them?” Rayla asked tentatively, now realizing that Callum had never mentioned her tattoos before...which was weird considering they were on her face and all. 

“Like them? I love them Rayla! They are beautiful, just like yours.” There was that word again. He had used it a few weeks ago when describing her horns and now he had used it again. Rayla’s insides began to turn over. Why was he so sweet to her?

“Oh good! I am glad you like them. They were the easiest for me to draw, since you know, I see them any time I look at my reflection.” She smiled playfully. “Now let’s get into town. Remember what our three rules are?

Callum sighed, “UGH I’m not a child Rayla. But sure: Number one, don’t talk to any one because my Moonshadow accent is horrible. Two, keep my hood up at all times and don’t shake hands with anyone. Three, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Good job! Let’s put extra emphasis on number three, ok? I want this to be an easy trip. Oh and one more thing, I am going to have to hold on to your arm the whole time. Because your markings match mine, people are going to think we are....together.” Rayla whispered the last word, staring at the ground in hopes that Callum would completely ignore what she had just said. 

Callum blinked once. Then twice. Then a third time. Had he heard her right? Did she intentionally paint his markings to match her’s for this purpose? And if so, did that mean she felt the same way about him that he did about her?

“Oh, uh, that sounds great.” He smiled sheepishly, face tinged with red. 

Rayla, for her part, was having no easier time than Callum. Admittedly, her markings were much easier to draw on his face than anything else she could’ve chosen. However, she also missed being close to Callum. It had been a week since the full moon and the last time they cuddled against each other. He had been more awkward than usual the next morning, and Rayla had begun to wonder if she had broken some unspoken human courting custom. Callum probably didn’t even know that she liked him. Rayla felt like a hopeless mess. 

“Ok, let’s go then.” Rayla grabbed Callum’s arm, making sure she avoided any possible eye contact. Callum knew her so well at this point that one look into her eyes would give her away. Ugh, why was she like this?

 

——————————

 

The Moonshadow village was like nothing Callum had ever seen. When they first walked into the village, Callum wasn’t sure that the forest had actually ended. The buildings here were much like the ones at the Moon Nexus. A beautiful combination of wood and some sort of silver material that Callum didn’t quite recognize. There was no real organization to the buildings, yet everything seemed to be in a perfect place. 

There were a few people milling about, talking to each other in the streets. They were all beautiful, like Rayla. Tall and slender, with varying tattoos across their bodies. Their skin was of varying colors. Some had Rayla’s pink-purple hue that Callum had become so enamored with. Others had much tanner skin, their purple tattoos providing a stunning contrast. All of them walked with a grace and athleticism that Callum wasn’t sure he could pull off. 

“What do you think?” He heard Rayla quietly ask, some nervousness in her voice. Was she afraid he wouldn’t like her culture?

“It’s the most amazing village I’ve ever seen, Ray.” He offered her a quick smile. As he did so, Rayla began to relax as a happy grin tugged at her cheeks. 

“Oh, good! Now let’s go find some supplies.” Rayla gestured to an area that looked like a marketplace and dragged Callum along for the ride. God she was fast. 

 

———————

 

The stalls in the market sold all sorts of things. Some sold fresh food derived from plants and animals that Callum had never seen before. Other’s sold trinkets and jewelry that were hand made by artists in the town. Rayla noticed Callum lingering at these stands, a look of awe written across his face. Rayla knew what she had to do. 

As she approached the vendor, she noticed he was young, probably no older than herself. He was looking suspiciously at Callum, who was eyeing a traditional Moonshadow pendant. Rayla wasn’t sure why he would be interested in a necklace that was obviously for women, but then again, many aspects of human culture were still lost on her. 

The elf saw her approaching, quickly making the connection between Callum and her due to the shared markings. The elf’s eyebrows shot up, a mocking grin appearing on his face. “Wow, I never would have guessed someone like him,” he gestured to Callum, “would be with a beauty such as yourself.”

Rayla noticed Callum’s facial expression fall with hurt as the elf insulted him. Rayla began to clench her fists, heat rising to her face as her ears pinned back. She was pissed. “What in the moon’s name do you mean by THAT,” she was almost shouting. 

“Oh, just that he looks rather stunted. You can barely see his horns, and he’s even shorter than you! You could do much better.” He sneered at her. 

Rayla began to reach for her blade, but stopped when she realized it would only arouse suspicion. She was used to dealing with bullies back home, but their comments had always been directed at her. This felt even more wrong. This elf didn’t know Callum like she did. He had never been on the receiving end of those big green eyes or the countless sweet words that were always spilling out of his mouth. Nor did he see Callum as she saw him—an adorably cute and attractive human that she had somehow fallen head over heels for. 

Before she could respond, she watched a very tall elf place his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “why are you being rude to our customers, boy? These two obviously care a lot about each other. It is rare these days to see matching tattoos like this.” The man was right, the fashion had fallen out of style many decades ago for all but the most committed of elven couples. Rayla had hoped that wouldn’t come up with Callum. 

The man started again, “as an apology, please pick one of these items to take with you, it’s on me.” Wordlessly, Callum pocketed the pendant, nodding his thanks to the man. Rayla shot the elf boy one last mean look, mouthing a thank you to the older man. 

As they walked away, Rayla grabbed Callum’s hand. He tensed up, relaxing only after she started stroking him with her thumb. “I’m really 

sorry about that, Callum. My people are generally very polite, I don’t know what that kid’s deal was.”

“It’s ok, Ray. It’s not your fault.” Callum almost whispered as he squeezed her hand. It was obvious that he still was not ok, but Rayla didn’t press the issue. She would wait until later that night. 

 

————

 

Callum was quiet that night because he didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure why, but the elven boy’s words had gotten to him. What did he mean by “stunted”? Sure, Rayla was a few inches taller than him, and even more so if you counted her horns. But, that had never bothered him...at least not until now. Callum had not even considered that Rayla may not reciprocate his feelings for the simple fact that he was not also an elf. The thought horrified him. 

“Calluuuummm, please tell me what’s going on in that head of yours,” Callum flinched at Rayla’s voice, earning him an even more concerned look. 

“It’s nothing, Rayla. Really,” Callum said, hoping she would believe him. 

Rayla arched her eyebrows in a soft, yet disapproving look. Wordlessly, she pulled herself next to him, placing her right arm around his shoulder. “Callum, I know you too well for you to lie to me. This is about that idiot boy’s comment, right?”

Callum nodded. “I’ve always been shorter than everyone my age. It never bothered me. But, it was something about the way he said it. There was so much malice in his voice just because I looked different than he expected. And he didn’t even know I was a human! Imagine how much worse it could’ve been had he known that.” Callum was starting to spiral, but Rayla wanted him to get everything off his chest. 

“Then, he mentioned how beautiful you are. And he’s right, you know, what if I burden you with my humanity? I don’t want to make life harder for you than it already is! Before today I had thought it wouldn’t matter, but now I know for sure I was wrong. I’m sorry, Ray.” Callum was out of breath. He knew he had probably said too much, but he couldn’t take it back now. 

Rayla knew it was time, it would mean more to him if she told him now than any other time she could think of.

She cupped Callum’s cheeks with each of her hands, staring directly into his sad eyes and began to speak, “Callum, you should know something. You are the kindest, funniest, softest, most adorable PERSON, human or elf, that I have ever met. I want nothing more than to finish this trip with you and never leave your side. As more than a friend...if you want that or even feel the same way about me...” now it was Rayla that couldn’t find the words to continue. 

Callum’s eyes had widened as Rayla began talking and only became wider as she finished. He blinked, and tried to speak, “Ray...I....uh...”

Rayla flinched, pulling her hands from Callum’s face, breaking the eye contact she had been maintaining. Callum missed her intense violet eyes immediately. 

“It’s ok Callum. You don’t have to feel anything.” Rayla began to turn away, eyes glistening. 

Callum wasn’t going to allow that. He grabbed her shoulder, holding her steady. Then, it was his turn to cup Rayla’s cheeks, stroking her tattoos gently. 

“Rayla, stop and listen. I feel the exact same thing for you. I have for awhile, probably since we first entered Xadia. I have had the time of my life with you and I never want that to end. You are all those things you heard me writing to my father all those months ago, but also so much more. You make me feel safe, Ray, and you push me to be a better person. I could not ask for anyone better to be on this journey with,” Callum finished, pulling Rayla in for a hug. 

Rayla buried her face in Callum’s shoulder, fighting the tears away. His touch felt like fireworks and sent electricity throughout her body. “Callum, I am so happy. You make me happy.” 

“You make me happy to, Ray. Oh! I almost forgot!” Callum fumbled around in his jacket and grasped on to the pendant he received earlier. “This is for you!”

They broke their hug just enough for Rayla to see the pendant in front of her. It was completely changed in the moonlight. Silvers, greens, and blues danced across the stone inlayed into the necklace. It was truly beautiful. What was more beautiful was the fact that even in a new town, in a new country, with danger lurking around the corner every step of the way, Callum had chosen to think about her when he picked up the jewelry. 

Bringing her arms around Callum once again, Rayla whispered, “thank you, Callum, I love it. Now, never let go.”

“I promise, I never will.” Callum said, moving his hand to begin stroking Rayla’s silky silver-white hair. In that position, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, barely realizing the new and exciting journey they had just begun, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I’m a few days late! I had meant to get this out for day 8 of Rayllum week, but work got in the way. So these kids have finally admitted that they mean more to each other than just being friends. To be clear, this is not a love confession but a “I like you more than a friend” confession. 
> 
> The love confession will come later. They have a lot to figure out before then...
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed!


	6. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much just fluff, with a brief appearance of worry wart Callum.

Callum and Rayla never exactly labeled their relationship, after admitting their feelings to one another. Rather, their interactions started changing, becoming more intimate along the way.

No longer did Callum have to steal glances every few minutes at Rayla. Instead, he would just admire her for hours on end. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. Come to think of it, Callum had always known Rayla was pretty. From their very first meeting he had been intrigued. First, by her pointed ears and how they seemed to have a personality entirely of their own design. Second, by her silvery-white hair that seemed to flow effortlessly around her horns and right down to her shoulders. And oh, her horns, how he loved her horns. Not only were they the most beautiful deep purple, but as he had found out before, they were silky to the touch. Then, there were her eyes. An exotic and piercing violet that could hold his gaze and return him to calm, even in the most despairing of moments.

One day, Rayla caught his gaze, watching him stare dreamily. He hadn’t even noticed she had turned around!

“Callum!”

Callum’s eyes refocused on her’s. “Oh, uh, yes?”

She rolled her eyes, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks, “I know I’m pretty and all, but you almost ran into a tree!”

Callum focused a little further in front of him. Indeed, there was a giant tree mere feet from his face. He reached behind his head, rubbing his back and blushed a deep red, “Oh, thanks Rayla. I guess I was just distracted...”

Rayla relaxed as she looked into Callum’s eyes. They were so bright, glistening in the blistering daytime sky. No one had ever looked at her the way Callum did in this moment. She couldn’t determine all the emotions his look was trying to communicate, but she knew he cared about her more than he did for himself.

Rayla walked over to Callum and ran her hand through his hair playfully, “you’re lucky you don’t have a head full of leaves right now.” A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. She grabbed his hand, carefully interlocking her four fingers with his five. “Now let’s keep moving. Maybe if I pull you along, you won’t get so distracted!”

Callum was sure that wouldn’t be the case...  
____

That evening, Rayla was sitting by the campfire next to Zym. The little Dragon had grown larger in the last month and was starting to eat more than she or Callum could supply on any given day. Hopefully, Zym would be able to hunt soon. But until then, they would just have to do their best.

Rayla’s eyes drifted to the rock that Callum was perched on. He was sketching away at something, completely lost in his imagination. Rayla smiled softly, he was such a dork, but he was her dork.

Usually, they’d sit together in silence during the evenings, waiting to see who would fall asleep first (it was always Callum). Since the previous week’s events, they couldn’t bare to sleep apart. So naturally, Rayla was missing his warm body and comforting embrace tonight.

As if on que, Callum looked up at her, holding her gaze before asking, “Rayla, what are we to each other?”

Oh boy.

Callum continued, his voice quivering with nervousness. “I mean, we don’t have to be anything, if you don’t want to be. In truthfulness, I’ve never been someone that a girl has actually liked back. I barely know how human relationships work, let alone elven ones! And I’m just, well, really afraid. This crazy journey brought us together, but once it’s over, then what? I don’t expect you to want to be with a human after that. I’d understand, I really would.” Callum’s eyes were beginning to glisten.

Rayla felt a deep pang of guilt, her human sap had probably been working up the courage to ask this question for the last week now, and she had been too focused on the mission to notice.

She stood up and walked slowly over to Callum. There was worry in his eyes, true fear that after their journey she would just up and leave. Rayla cursed herself for not noticing Callum’s worry sooner.

Rayla did not know many things, but this she felt confident of, “Callum, whatever comes our way, before and after we deliver Zym, we will be together. There is no where else I rather be. I am not with you for some short term fling. I am with you because I care about you. Probably more than I’ve ever cared for anyone.”

Callum began to grin like the big human sap he was. Gosh he was adorable. A warm feeling started rising in the pit of Rayla’s stomach, one she had felt many times before she and Callum confessed. Now, she could act on it.

She leaned in close, cupping his face at first and then moving her hands to run through his messy brown hair. As she got closer to her target, she panicked. Instead of his lips, she moved to his cheek. Pressing her lips to his smooth skin. Damnit, she whimped out: what was this Assassin training good for if she couldn’t even work up the courage to kiss a boy!

Still, she relished the moment, delighting in how Callum melted in her hands. When she leaned back to look at him, he had a goofy smile spread across his face.

“That uh, was really, uh nice,” the words tumbled out of his mouth as his cheeks turned a deeper red than Rayla thought possible.

“You’re right dummy, it was. Now remember, I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.” With that, she drew him into a tight embrace.

\------

Art by @[thisisnowarayllumblog](https://thisisnowaraylumblog.tumblr.com)on Tumblr. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS FOR ME.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok it’s been three weeks, I’m sorry for such the delay, and I’m sorry this is so short! But I had to write some Rayllum fluff! I hope you enjoyed.


	7. Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, things get to be too much.

When Rayla woke up, she found herself tightly tucked into Callum. Usually, he slept on her while she wrapped her arms around him. She enjoyed the protective role she got to play for her human. But last night, he wanted to hold her tight. He wouldn’t say why, but Rayla knew. Callum had lost almost everyone in his life whom he held dear. Then, yesterday, he had almost talked himself into believing that she too, would leave. 

Rayla frowned and snuggled tighter into Callum’s side. Their relationship was so new, but as she had told him in not so many words, she would do anything for him.

Still, there were things they needed to talk about. Rayla had no idea what human dating practices were like. Had that kiss on the cheek been too much? She definitely didn’t think so, but Callum had been rather quiet afterwards…Then, there was the fact that Callum was literal royalty of the most powerful human kingdom in the Pentarchy.

Xadians didn’t have royalty, per se. But there were definitely classes, and as someone whose family abandoned a royal dragon, Rayla was among the lowest. Would Callum push her away the moment he found that out? Surely, he would want to be with some princess or queen.

Then there was the whole human vs. elf thing. Moon be damned, she didn’t even want to think about that. An elven Assasin who fell for her target’s human brother, she was the ultimate disgrace. But did she care? 

“UGH,” she signed not so softly, causing Callum to stir. 

“Shit, go back to sleep, go back to sleep, go back to sleep,” she whispered mostly to herself. She wanted to talk to Callum about these things, but she wasn’t sure she was ready. 

Callum groaned, barely opening his eyes before smiling fondly at her, “now Rayla, we have talked about your language before!”

Rayla rolled her eyes. Yes, they had talked about it before. Apparently, humans had this crazy idea that cursing was bad. Rayla had quickly educated him on her military up bringing, and how it didn’t matter what she said as long as she wasn’t at some formal ball or something. Callum agreed to disagree.

“Was there something the matter?” He asked gently, beginning to stroke the hair around her horns. She melted into his touch, wanting to spill out all of her thoughts at once. But, she didn’t. She just wanted to enjoy this moment, for once. 

“Oh, no. You are just very cute when you are sleeping, and I am not used to you holding me like this.” It was true, he was adorable, and she did enjoy how he was holding her.

Callum paused his stroking and began to lean down. He softly kissed one of Rayla’s horns, sending shivers down her spine. Stars and sky, what was he trying to do to her?

“Well, you should get used to it. You deserve to be held just as much as I do. We are a team, and I am here for you, just like you are for me.” With that, Callum leaned back again and started stroking her horns.

Rayla hummed, hanging on his every word. She believed and trusted him. Her worries could wait for another time. For now she would just lay in peace. 

——-

Callum wasn’t sure what had gotten into him that morning, when had he become so confident with Rayla? In all his years crushing on Claudia, he had never had the courage, even once, to say how he felt or act on those feelings. 

With Rayla, everything was different, it was easy. Not that Callum thought this whole relationship would be easy, far from it. They would have to deal with both of their races hating that they were together. They would have to deal with the katolin court being pissed that Callum had chosen an elf instead of the many eligible humans in the pentarchy. And finally, they would have to find a way to navigate a relationship between two races that had been divided for at least 1000 years. 

Usually, all this uncertainty would be enough to give Callum a panic attack. However, ever since admitting his feelings to Rayla, he had felt more confident. It wasn’t necessarily that Rayla gave him confidence, but more that she reinforced it: her steady presence acting as an anchor any time he began to worry. He wasn’t sure if the confidence would last, but he knew that if it didn’t, Rayla would be there anyway. With that, Callum picked up his pace to catch her, effortlessly sliding his hand into hers. 

Rayla turned to him, a light pink creeping into her cheeks. She leaned her head on his shoulder saying “oh dummy, you know just how to make me happy.”

———-

Rayla had been calm most of the day, and even calmer when Callum had confidently grabbed her hand in the morning. But still, she couldn’t get the worries from earlier to stop whispering doubts inside her head.

As she always did, Rayla kept on a brave face for Callum, not wanting him to see her in a moment of mental weakness. For the most part it worked. 

Until it didn’t. 

——-

They had come across a slightly less dense part of the forest when Rayla suggested they take a break. Was she tired today? That would be unusual, Rayla never tired. She was the strongest person he knew, it was one of the many things that attracted Callum to her. Come to think of it, it was weird thinking that Rayla was attractive, even now, with their feelings out in the open. 

Focus Callum, focus, he told himself. He needed to be alert if Rayla was tired, he could do this, even if Rayla was always the one that protected them. 

“Rayla, you look a little tired, do you want to take a nap while I keep a look out?”

“I’m NOT tired,” Rayla snapped back, apparently insulted by the suggestion. Callum winced, it had been awhile since she lashed out like that. Something was obviously bothering her, but it was clear she wasn’t in a place to discuss it yet. 

“Ok,” was all Callum could muster, not wanting to irritate her further. 

Rayla, for her part, could tell she hurt Callum. She hadn’t meant to. She wasn’t angry with him, but with the thoughts eating at her. 

“I’m, I’m sorry Callum. I shouldn’t have snapped. I just need some time to think through some stuff, is that ok?” 

Callum frowned, but relented, simply nodding. With that, Rayla jumped into the trees and disapeared. Callum felt his pulse quicken a little as he realized that, just like that, she could be gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this is about my normal length. I hope to be able to get more words out soon/chapter. Please let me know what you think!! I can't really decide if I liked this chapter...


	8. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum think on the nature of their relationship, apart. Callum receives a visit from someone in his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I know I know. It’s been three weeks since an update. Honestly, I had a super difficult time with this chapter and I wasn’t sure I’d come back to the fic. But, thanks to Deh_Peh, SeaWitch, and Cyanide, I came back and finished it. I think this is my best chapter to date and I hope you enjoyed it!

Rayla didn’t go far. In fact, she didn’t even leave the general vicinity of where they decided to take a break. She wouldn’t do that to Callum, she had promised to always stay close. He didn’t know it, but she was still watching over him.

“Ugh, what is wrong with me??” Rayla whispered to herself. “I care about Callum and he cares about me, that should be all that matters, right?” It should be that easy, she thought. But she wasn’t naive enough to fully believe that. Ever since she was old enough to talk, she had been taught to hate humans. Now, she had fallen for one and entered some sort of nebulous relationship with him.

Royalty, racism, and politics. She wasn’t built for this. She was meant to be an assassin. She almost killed the boy she was now mate (girlfriend?) to. Rayla shivered. It was too much to think about. Things were easier when she thought all she had to do was kill a human king and his son. Now, everything was just so much more complicated. Rayla brought her chin to her knees and curled her arms around her legs.

She needed to clear her head. Usually, all it would take to do that was to spar someone. But that wasn’t an option, Callum wasn’t exactly the sparring type. She pondered that for a moment. He was different than any of her previous crushes. The most glaring difference was his humanity. That was a whole other problem. 

But, personality wise, he was different. Callum wasn’t a fighter in the most basic sense of the term. He could barely hold a sword, let alone hurt someone with it. He also wasn’t the most confident person she had ever met. He stammered and rambled whenever he had something hard or embarrassing to say. 

Rayla’s heart fell a little, had she just fallen for him because of the proximity and intensity of their mission? She supposed it was possible. Runaan used to tell her about Assassins who would become romantically involved with each other on particularly intense missions. For the reputation her people had as killers, Moonshadow elves were also known among her species for being intense lovers. Rayla had always repressed this part of her. Too much heartache had come from loving another person in her life. 

She sighed. She was faced with the real possibility of happiness with Callum, something she hadn’t truly known in a very long time and here she was trying to sabotage it before it even had the chance to bloom. Freezing up at the moment of most importance was typical of her. 

After a few moments, she looked down. Her heart sank even more. Leaning against the same tree as her, at least fifty feet down, was the human prince. He was in basically the same position as her, chin on his knees, looking around nervously. It was then that she realized, this was the first time she had left him alone after their confession to each other. Rayla felt a pang of guilt creep across her body. Sure, it had only been a day or two, but she knew that Callum would overthink her absence, the sap that he was. 

Callum was good to her, much too good to her than she deserved. She wasn’t quite sure what he saw in her, an assassin trained to kill world leaders. But he saw something in her and she definitely saw something in him. All she knew now was that she needed to talk to him. She needed to discuss all the doubts and worries going through her mind. He had a special way of putting her mind at ease, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed that right now. 

With that, Rayla stood up and dropped down from the canopy. 

—-

Callum was a little worried. Rayla hadn’t been gone too long, but she had seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Had he done something to offend her? Now that he thought about it, Callum realized he didn’t really know a lot, or anything, about elven dating customs. Had he said something wrong? 

He took a deep breath. Rayla would be back soon and she would talk to him then. Callum’s anxiety had been a lot better since he met Rayla. Somehow, she helped keep him grounded, something no one else but his mother had ever been able to do. Not that Rayla was like his mother. She was definitely way different than his mother. 

Callum sighed, he was getting lost in his head again. He decided to rest his eyes a bit. Rayla wouldn’t approve...but she wasn’t there and he was constantly tired from their journey. Zym was curled tightly against his side and Callum began stroking his mane absentmindedly. Callum felt the sleep beginning to take him. His last thought was of Rayla, he was hopeful she would be back by the time he woke up.

—

Callum’s eyes fluttered open to pitch black. He couldn’t see anything around him. Zym was gone and so was Rayla. He was all alone and he couldn’t see. Callum felt the panic begin to rise in his gut. He didn’t want to be alone. He couldn’t be alone. Before, he had always had Ezran, and to a degree, Harrow. Ezran was gone now and Harrow was dead. Then, Rayla had come along and stole his heart. She knew he liked her, and they were even somewhat together, but she didn’t know the degree of his feelings. He was too afraid to tell her, he didn’t want to scare her away. Any relationship they would have would be difficult given that they were from two entirely different races at war with one another for the past thousand years. Then, there was the fact that he was a prince. That would complicate things. Rayla would probably hate being treated like Royalty. She was a free spirit and Callum would just hold her back.

The thoughts were coming too fast now. Callum tried to slow them down, but it was beyond his control. He tried to cry for help, but the words were caught in his throat. Then, the shaking began. He would have to let the panic attack run its course now. 

“Callum.” The voice was soft, but obviously masculine. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Callum still couldn’t see, but could hear the voice clearly. “I know your mother always helped you through these, but I am here now. Breathe, just like she taught you.”

Callum began to catch his breath. As he did, the world came back into focus. There, in front of him, was Harrow. He looked exactly like he did the last time Callum saw him. Before he met Rayla, before…before he died. 

“Harr...dad?” Callum whispered. Harrow’s eyes glistened at the new name. 

“Yes, it’s me son,” Harrow smiled warmly. “What is troubling you so? Is this about Rayla?” How did he know? Was this a dream? He knew the answer to that question, but didn’t want to let go. 

“Maybe...it’s. It really that simple” Callum trailed off already becoming lost in the complexity of the situation. Would his Dad understand that he had fallen for one of the assassins on the team that took his life? His father had preached love in his last letter to him, but did that apply to Rayla?

“It never is, my son. Try and tell me anyways?” Harrow phrased it as a question, but it was unmistakably a father’s demand. 

So, Callum began at, well the beginning. From the moment Rayla first found him on the castle grounds. He described how she was sent to kill Ezran but hesitated at every turn. Then he detailed how they found Zym and Rayla immediately flipped at the first sign of a potential peace. As Callum recounted the story, he realized, not for the first time, how much Rayla had given up to go with them. She had betrayed her leader and offered to fight her own people to save Harrow just after thirty minutes of knowing them. 

Callum continued describing the rest of their journey. From the comical moment on the raft, to Zym hatching. It all felt so long ago, even though it had only been a month or two. He recounted how he found out that Harrow died and how Rayla comforted him through it and kept him safe. Then, Callum carefully described his usage of dark magic and how he woke up in Rayla’s arms after passing out from the exertion. Finally, he tried to help Harrow understand how he and Rayla’s relationship developed, but he was starting to have trouble putting it into words. 

Harrow gave Callum a knowing smile and said, “it’s ok Callum, you don’t need to explain it to me any further, I think I can piece together the rest.” He then sighed, his eyes downcast. “I am sorry I put you through all this, Callum. My mistakes, my misunderstandings, my hatred, will make your life harder than it needs to be for you...and for Rayla.”

Callum frowned. He didn’t think any of this was his dad’s fault. Or, at least, he didn’t want to. “No dad, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t be falling for an...” Harrow didn’t let him finish, instead holding his hand up to stop Callum from continuing. 

“Don’t apologize for who you love, Callum. Your advisers will always want to set you up with one noble or another. None of that matters without love. This Rayla, no matter if she is elf or human, cares more about you than you probably do for yourself. That is love. And you should hold onto it like it’s the most important thing in the world, because it is. Remember Callum, you shape your own destiny. You can create a narrative of love. Let your legacy be better than mine. Show both humans and elves that a relationship based upon mutual trust, love, and loyalty is possible.”

Callum nodded, not entirely sure how to respond to his father. He thought he would hate him for loving his enemy. He thought he would tell him to go back to Katolis and find someone more suitable. But he hadn’t. Maybe, it was just the dream, but Callum felt something far more convincing at work than a simple dream. 

“I miss you, dad.” Callum had begun to cry. Harrow started wiping his tears away and said, “I miss you and Ez so much, Callum. I wish I could have been there to see this through with you. But I was part of the problem. This new world you all will create will be far better than the one I left behind.”

He paused, but continued again, slower this time, “now, it’s time for you to wake up son. Remember, love trumps power. I will always be with you.”

Before Callum could reply, his eyes flew open. At the same moment, a familiar figure appeared from the canopy above, landing gracefully on the soft grass beneath them. She was beautiful, slender, and moon above had he missed her. It was Rayla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I added an end point for this fic. I think we are coming to the natural conclusion of this arc. Have no fear! There will be a sequel:)


	9. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, relationships develop faster than you could ever expect.

“Oh, uh, hi Rayla.” Callum spoke softly, not yet entirely awake from his nap. 

 

“Hi Callum.” she smiled slightly before frowning, “Did you take a nap while I was gone?!”

 

“Yes…yes I did. Zym was tired.”

 

She smirked, “Zym was tired, eh? I am sure it had nothing to do with the nice mane rubbing you are giving him.” She gestured to Callum’s hand, which had begun stroking Zym again as soon as he had woken up.

 

Rayla didn’t expect the reaction she got next. Callum frowned and broke her gaze. “Well, you left. I didn’t really know what else to do but wait. I suppose if you hadn’t come back I would’ve figured something out.” He hadn’t meant to sound so bitter. He wasn’t actually mad at Rayla, just disappointed that she had left him there, trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

 

Rayla sighed and took a seat next to Callum. She made sure to leave an abnormal amount of space between the two of them. She wasn’t sure he wanted to be touched right now and didn’t want to bare the pain of him recoiling at the comfort she wanted to offer him.

 

“Callum, I never actually left you. I was just a hundred feet in the air.” She pointed to the treetops. “I just needed to think some things through. I am really sorry if I made you think that I left you, that was not my intention. It would never be my intention.”

 

Callum still wouldn’t meet her gaze, but spoke softly, “I understand if you need to think things through, Rayla. I mean, I took a lot of time last month to figure myself out after Dad died. I just, I guess I didn’t know if you were coming back.”

 

Rayla ground her teeth. That one hurt. She wasn’t like her parents, she wouldn’t just leave him. How could he think that!? Then it hit her, and not for the first time. Everyone in Callum’s life had left him in one way or another. His biological father, dead. His step-father, killed by her people. His mother, killed by the king of the dragons. Ezran, still alive, but facing his duties in Katolis. Soren and Claudia, traitors. She was all he had left and that scared him. Rayla couldn’t imagine how he felt when she jumped into those trees, leaving him behind.

 

“I’m sorry Callum. The last thing I want is to cause you pain or anxiety, please look at me.” She held out her hands to him, hoping he would take them. Tentatively, Callum grabbed each of her four-fingered hands in his. Still, he would not look at her. 

 

“Callum, please. This is important, I promise.” Her voice was beginning to quiver. Had she lost him that easily? She should have considered him more when she decided to run off…

 

Finally, he looked up. “You don’t need to apologize Rayla. I am being stupid and clingy. I guess…I guess I’ve just lost so many people that I can’t bare the thought of losing you too. You mean too much to me.”

 

Rayla smiled at the familiar words. “You mean more to me than you can know, Callum.” She released one of his hands and brought her hand to his face. She moved some of his hair behind his ear. It was getting long now, she’d have to help him take care of that soon. Rayla then moved her hand to his cheek and with her thumb, began rubbing in circles. Callum seemed to like that, as he leaned into her hand.

 

Without opening his eyes, Callum asked, “So what was it that you needed to think about?” 

 

Rayla didn’t really want to have that conversation yet. But, now she knew what would happen if she kept internalizing her worries. She would just keep hurting him. Better to lay it all out before him now than torment themselves.

 

“It’s going to be a hard conversation Callum. Not bad, just hard. Are you up for it?” Rayla hoped he would say no. She really just wanted to keep stroking his cheek so he could be happy. But that wasn’t in the cards.

 

Callum opened his eyes and knowingly looked at her. “Yes. I figured we would need to talk about all of this. I just don’t really know how to start…”

 

“Well,” Rayla started tentatively, “it might be helpful if I tell you why I have been a little dodgy about labeling what we have…”

 

Callum simply nodded.

 

“So uh…we moon elves have a reputation for being assassins in the human kingdoms. But, back home, we are known to be rather intense…lovers.” Her face reddened at the word and its implications. She wasn’t exactly sure what she felt yet, but how would she know anyways? She had never felt this way about anyone but Callum.

 

It’s not like her parents or foster parents had ever really taught her what love felt like. They had always said,  _ your a moon elf Rayla, you’ll know when you know. _ Well that wasn’t particularly helpful in this moment. She knew that she liked Callum. A lot. More than was normal, that was for sure. And more than she had ever liked one of her crushes. But did she love him?

 

Before Callum could interject, she continued, “because of this, we are taught to be very careful when it comes to relationships. A moon elf can be hurt easily if the intensity of their feelings are not returned. Typically, that is why we stick to our own tribe, it’s a sort of assurance that we won’t get hurt.”

 

When she stopped speaking, she noticed that Callum was returning her gaze with a ferocity that only his emerald eyes could communicate. He leaned in a little closer so his hand could reach her cheek. He began to repeat the motions she had made use of moments earlier. First, he traced her silvery eyebrows with his thumb. Then he dragged his thumb around her eyes, savoring the softness of her skin. Finally, he began tracing circles on her cheek, always lingering a moment to observe her markings.

 

Moon above that felt good, Rayla thought. She knew she loved Callum’s touch. Even two weeks into their journey she had always wanted to be close to him. She didn’t understand why, she had never liked to be touched or comforted before. Now, when she was feeling sad or lonely, she would seek Callum out. He knew just what to say and how to say it. He was gentle with her, accepted her, he wanted her to be who she wanted to be. Even when she made mistakes, he was there for her. And in return, she always wanted to be there for him. Rayla realized that he would do anything for her and she knew that she would do anything for him. This was love. She loved him. It was a quiet, almost calming realization. The anxiety she had felt about their relationship instantly began to fade, only to be replaced by a new question; did he love her back?

 

She was jolted into the present by Callum’s next words. 

 

“Rayla, that’s beautiful. I understand your hesitation now. I am not a moon elf, I am just a human. Our...tribes as you call them, don’t have different traits in regards to love. There are different traditions, of course, but nothing as unique as what you are describing.” 

 

Rayla began to frown a little, beginning to think that maybe the cautious side of her was right. Maybe this was too fast. Maybe Callum would never be able to care for her in the way she cared for him.

 

Callum continued, “I had a dream while I was asleep by the way…Harrow was in it. It was the first time I had seen him since…since he died.”

 

“I’m sorry, Callum. Again…”

 

“No, no Rayla. That’s not what I mean. I just hadn’t seen him in a long time. He had some good advice about a couple things. And about us. I know it was a dream, it just felt so real.” Callum was afraid to tell her exactly what Harrow had said. Part of him thought she would think it was silly that he was taking advice from a dream. Another part of him just didn’t want to make things awkward.

 

“What did he say, Callum…” She was getting desperate now.

 

Well, there was no way around it now, Callum thought to himself. 

 

“He said, in essence, not to leave a legacy like his own. That our collective history didn’t need to be defined by power and the struggle to survive, but that it instead could be defined by love. He said that we, you and I, could determine our own futures and that we didn’t need anyone else’s permission to....to...” Callum was sputtering now. His hand had dropped from her face and he was clutching it, nervously. 

 

Rayla needed to know what he was going to say. She desperately needed him to confirm that he felt as deploy as she did for him. She was both incredibly anxious and excited at the same time. 

 

“To be in love.” Callum breathed out, his face beet red. His eyes met hers and shifted nervously, looking for any hint of how she would respond. 

 

Rayla’s heart almost exploded in her chest. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting him to say, but this was the best outcome she could’ve imagined. 

 

Her pause caused Callum to recoil a bit, “I’m sorry Rayla, I know it’s too early to be thinking about these things. We have been kind of dating for a couple days. I’m just a sappy loser who doesn’t understand.”

 

Rayla was stern but gentle in her next few movements. She cupped Callum’s cheeks again and rested her forehead against his. She looked into his eyes. She looked past his insecurities, his nervousness, and glimpsed the intense feeling he had for her behind those emeralds. It was time, she needed to declare it to the world. To him. And to herself. 

 

“Stop it! Callum of Katolis, I love you! I love your sappiness, I love your charm, I love your humanity, I love your selflessness. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I’ve loved you for awhile now. It may sound crazy, but I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. There is nothing, and I mean nothing I would not do for you.”

 

Callum looked stunned, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Rayla loved him. He loved her. It was fast, but it felt right to him. 

 

“You, you really do? I knew you liked me. But this is so much...more.” Callum barely eked out. 

 

“Yes you dumb human, I love you.”

 

She leaned in, and before either of them knew what was happening, their lips met. They were dry from all the nervousness, but their soft skin meeting caused them both to melt into the embrace of the other. Their lips kept crashing in both awkward, yet comfortable ways. 

 

When they finally stopped, Rayla found herself lying on Callum’s chest, much like she had a couple nights earlier. She savored the simplicity of the moment. There was still a lot to discuss, and she resolved to start that conversation tomorrow. But for now, she realized, the root of her anxiety hadn’t been whether she loved Callum. It had been whether he loved her back. 

 

She snapped back to reality when Callum said, “I love you Rayla. I know there is still a lot to figure out, and I want to talk about all of it with you. But, just know that, through it all, I love you.”

 

She smiled, pressing her lips to his once more, “I love you too.” Rayla didn’t think she deserved happiness like this. But moon be damned, she was going to do everything in her power to protect it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I’m a bit worried about how this chapter will be perceived. Part of me thinks I rushed into this too fast. But some of this is also based on personal experience. (Yes I’m projecting into my fic, surprise surprise). 
> 
> I do hope you all enjoyed.


	10. Challenges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum are nearing the end of their journey. With their new found love for one another, they tackle some questions that will follow them wherever they go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to SeaWitch (Stormy) and Cyanide for the editing help! Thank you to Deh_Peh for all angst inspiration!

When Callum woke the next morning, he almost thought the day before had been but a pleasant dream. There was no way that Rayla could love him. Actually love him in the way that he loved her. But when he looked down to find her snuggled against him, hand on his chest and softly snoring, he knew it was true. This girl, this elf, had sacrificed everything to keep him safe and fight for a chance of peace. But she still fell for him, and him for her. 

 

It was a star-crossed match, he knew. Every playwright and romance author would say what they had was destined to fail tragically. But, the words of his father lived on, “your destiny is not yet written, Callum, you alone can choose”. And Callum knew. He knew that he would choose Rayla. Every. Single. Time. 

 

He began pulling his fingers through her silvery white hair, entranced by its softness. With each stroke, he moved closer to the base of her horns until he was gently rubbing them. They were just as he remembered them, impossibly smooth to the touch with intricate patterns that he could make out with his thumb. Before meeting Rayla, Callum had thought horns were strange. Of course, he’d never even seen an elf before her, but his human history teachers had always said that horns were a demonizing feature that made elves the bloodthirsty monsters that they were. 

 

Callum knew this was wrong now. Rayla’s horns were one of the things he found most attractive about her. It was something about how they were so separate, yet so part of her all at the same time. 

 

He brought his free hand from her waist up to the base of her other horn and began rubbing there as well. A soft sigh escaped Rayla’s lips as she nuzzled closer into his chest. Finally, one of her eyes slowly cracked open, revealing the brilliant violet underneath.

 

“What’cha doin’ dummy?” Rayla’s accent was particularly thick in the mornings. Callum discovered long ago that, while she usually woke up before him, she was decidedly NOT a morning person. 

 

“Oh, I’m just rubbing your horns…I hope that’s…ok?” Callum was a little nervous. They still had not discussed elven dating customs, so he could have been breaking a million rules in this moment.

 

“Mmmmm, its mor’ than ok. You jus’ keep doin’ that.” She pushed her head a little more deeply into his rubbing. It was obvious that she was enjoying this. 

 

“So this feels good for you, then?” Callum smiled playfully. He was happy that he could make her feel good. Rayla wasn’t the most communicative person when it came to how she felt. 

 

“Aye. It does. It’s something that elven mates do for each other. It’s an extremely intimate gesture. The only people that ever touch an elf's horn is yourself, your parents, and your mate. It’s seen as extremely rude to touch another’s horns, otherwise.” Rayla was more awake now. She was ready to share her culture and worries with Callum. 

 

Callum’s face turned a bright pink as he stopped rubbing her horns. 

 

“Oh, uh, I’m sorry. I rubbed and kissed your horns before we had the conversation from last night, didn’t I? I hope I didn’t offend you.” 

 

Rayla closed her eyes and let out a little laugh. She took one of her hands from her lap and reached to her horns. She grabbed Callum’s hand and urged him to start rubbing again. Tentatively, he did. 

 

“It’s not like you knew, Callum. I haven’t been particularly good about telling you how this all works for us. Plus, I’ve loved you for awhile. I just didn’t realize it until yesterday. I’m really sorry about that, by the way, you seem like you’ve been sure for awhile now?”

 

Callum had resumed the rubbing motion on the base of Rayla’s horns while he pondered the question. Meanwhile, Rayla’s eyes had shut again as she began to hum softly. She could have stayed like this the whole day if they didn’t have a mission they needed to finish.

 

“I am not sure I consciously realized it until after the village. But, yeah, looking back, it has probably been since the incident with the Dragon. I was so worried you wouldn’t come back that I went after you, against my better judgement. I had never done that for anyone but Ez before.”

 

Rayla smiled, opening her eyes again. It was a complicated memory, for sure. She still wasn’t pleased that he had used dark magic. But at the same time, she knew she would not have done any better in the same circumstances. She would have done anything to save him.

 

Rayla sat up and stretched her arms. Then, she took Callum’s hands in hers, “I think we fell for each other at the exact same time. After you wouldn’t wake up from your illness, I thought that I had lost you. I couldn’t stand to think of a world without you.”

 

“I love you Rayla.” Callum spoke softly.

 

Rayla’s insides felt like they were melting from the warmth that was building in the pit of her stomach. She hoped the feeling would never go away.

 

“I love you too, Callum.” She paused a little before continuing, “now, we should probably get going, we still have to return Zym, after all!”

 

——

 

They walked that afternoon in mostly silence. Both trying to determine how to bring up the more delicate topics that they wanted to discuss. 

 

It was Rayla who finally broke the silence.

 

“Callum, how do you think humans and elves will…react to us? I can’t imagine that it will be positive…” 

 

“Probably not. Humans are still bitter, a thousand years later about being kicked out of Xadia. They especially won’t like the thought of one of their princes being with a Moonshadow elf.” It came out a little more matter-of-fact than Callum had intended. But he had determined as soon as he professed his love that he wouldn’t sugar coat the struggles their relationship would endure.

 

Rayla’s face sagged a little as she replied, “I suppose that makes sense. It won’t be much better on the Xadian side, either. Elves have rather low opinions on the human race in general. You probably noticed that even Lujanne didn’t think that it was possible for you to be anything more than ‘just a human’.” Rayla was a little angry now and her ears were starting to flush.

 

“It’s so dumb! Of course our people hate each other. The only interaction any of them have ever had with the other has been in the context of war. Look at us, we fell in love in TWO months. Which is crazy considering I was on my way to murder your family in cold blood. UGH, everything we have been taught about each other is just so wrong.”

 

Callum could tell she was getting worked up now. It didn’t happen often, but angry Rayla was definitely not someone to be trifled with. He reached out and lightly grabbed her shoulder, turning her to face him. She tensed at the contact at first, but immediately relaxed into his touch. Rather than just staring at him, she drew him into a hug.

 

“I’m sorry Callum, it’s just a lot. I’m just...afraid that people will try and drive us apart any chance that they get,” she whimpered out. 

 

“They will, Rayla. At every chance they get. But listen to me, we will be stronger than them, ok? When they come at us with hate, we will come at them ten times stronger with love. That’s the only way we can change the world, right? With love.”

 

Callum felt a slight jab in his right side and then a voice in his ear. “Callum, you are such a sappy prince.”

 

“But I’m _your_ sappy prince.” Callum smiled as Rayla released him. 

 

“That you are, dummy.” She grabbed his hand so they could continue walking. “So, we will fight for each other, no matter what?”

 

“Yes, no matter what. Just like we’ve done from the very beginning.” It was Callum’s turn to be brave. He gently pulled Rayla in for a drawn out kiss. She always tasted of moon berries. 

 

—-

 

The rest of the day was filled with talk about potential futures and discussions centered around their families and dating customs.

 

Callum learned that moon shadow elves were a lot more conservative when it came to dating than humans were. Apparently, once a moon elf fell in love, it was almost impossible for them to stop loving that individual, even in the rare case of a divorce. It made sense then, why Rayla was so cautious about being in love. She would never be able to stop. That warmed Callum’s heart almost to the point of tears. He promised himself that he too, would never stop loving her.

 

Then, Rayla had discussed all the rituals and customs that elves went through to become “united”. She assured Callum that none of them mattered because he was a human. But he had protested, saying that he would go through each and every one of them. That warmed Rayla’s heart because he cared so much about respecting her culture. 

 

It was Rayla’s turn to learn next. Callum told her about “normal” human customs and “royal” customs in regards to dating. When he told her about how humans arranged marriages to consolidate power, she almost lost it. How could they believe that would ever lead to happiness?! Before she could, Callum had rested his hand on her cheek and told her she didn’t have to worry. He would always be hers and hers alone. 

 

By nightfall, both of their worries had melted off them as if they had never existed in the first place. They were laughing and giggling in each other’s arms and oh so in love. So, it made sense that they didn’t notice that they were no longer alone until Zym squawked in alarm. Callum felt a small prick in his side. When he looked down, there was a small glowing bug flying away into the night sky. Moments later, the world went dark.

 

Rayla, on the other hand, managed to dodge whatever creature that had knocked Callum out. She glanced at her human, lying limp on the ground before her. The warmth in her heart was instantly placed by a red-hot anger. Whoever had done this would pay.

 

“Show yourself!” Rayla shouted, her eyes stinging with rage. 

 

A sky wing elf flew down and began to speak, “Rayla of the moon shadow, I am….”. Rayla didn’t let him finish. Just as soon as his feet had hit the ground, Rayla had drawn her swords, sprinted over to his landing position, and placed the swords to his neck. The sky elf shuddered. 

 

“What did you do to my Callum? Is he dead? He better not be dead…” Her voice was seething with rage. She had just found Callum. She had just found the person that she wanted to love for the rest of her days. And now, now he could be dead. 

 

“Oh, no no no. He’s not dead. We are not killers like you lot. He is simply asleep, just like you will be in a few moments.” The sky elf was obviously uncomfortable with the swords pressed against his throat. But, Rayla had not noticed the magical bug come back and land on her neck before it was too late. She felt a soft pinch, and before she knew it, the world went black.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea, sorry for the angst at the end. I promise its not going to be too bad. Really, I do.


	11. Till the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum wake up and face the consequences of their actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Deh_Peh for beta reading this final chapter.

When Callum woke, he could barely move his body. His eyes were caked in something, and his vision was blurry. He slowly, agonizingly, pushed himself up from the dusty ground. When he opened his eyes again, he could see that the room he was being kept in was faintly lit. He could only think of moving, of trying to get a handle on where he was being kept and why.

 

The room was small, and the ground was cold. There were steel doors in front of him and stone walls on either side. In the wall to his right was a small opening.

 

Wait.

 

Where. Was. Rayla? The thought hit him which such force that he literally fell into the dust again. The last thing he remembered was talking about their future together, just reveling in each other’s company. He remembered her face, looking radiant in the sunlight, even if it was meant for the moon. Was that the last time he would see her? Where was she?

 

Callum looked around frantically, hoping to spot her. But, she was nowhere to be found. She was gone. The person he had just learned that he loved had disappeared.

 

“Rayla!” He was screaming now, the despair in his voice obvious to anyone who was listening. Why did they do this to them? What awful thing had they done? They were only trying to bring Zym home.

 

He scooted closer to the wall, gasping between sobs. He was still having trouble moving. Whatever that bug did to him, it was intense. He hoped it would wear off soon. But then, did he really care?

 

He had lived all but the last two months of his life without her, without knowing that she even existed. But now, the thought of her gone was so foreign to him. Even before their admission to one another, Callum had hoped that he would see her after returning Zym. Now, he had wished they had talked about it, so he could at least dream about what could have been like.

 

Now, there was a possibility that he would never see the outside of this cell. The only elf that ever liked him was probably dead or imprisoned somewhere else, far, far away from him.

 

His eyes were drifting closed again. What was even the point of fighting it? As he was drifting to a sleep that hopefully wouldn’t be fraught with nightmares, he heard a small noise from the cell next door.

 

There were other prisoners here?

 

Callum dragged himself over to the small grate, hoping to catch a glimpse of whomever would be his neighbor for the time being. Not that he really cared. It couldn’t possibly be the only person he would willingly share a prison with. Still, it didn’t hurt to look.

 

He shifted his weight and leaned down to take a look. The grate was small, but allowed him almost full view of the cell next to his. He could even put his hand through it if he forced it. He saw a crumpled figure on the ground. He saw dirty white hair first, flowing around deep purple horns. Was it Rayla?

 

No, he told himself. There were millions of other moon elves in the world. It couldn’t possibly be her. There was no point in getting his hopes up.

 

The figure groaned, and then let out a long stream of curses. It sat up, rubbing its eyes. It looked around the room and let out an additional curse, “Well, what the fuck is this?”

 

Callum froze. The voice sounded familiar. It was feminine for sure. Could it be her? He had to find out.

 

“Rayla?” he practically whispered.

 

The figure’s ears instantly perked up. She had heard him.

 

“Callum?” She rushed over to the grate, desperately wanting to break through the wall to hold him. He leaned closer and put his hand through, letting the steel chafe against him. He just wanted to touch her again.

 

He was crying, but he looked relieved. Why had he not gotten up? Was he hurt? There were so many questions running through her mind. But all that mattered now was that she could grab his hand and place it on her filthy cheek. He stroked her as he always did. Gently but with purpose. He guided his thumb down her markings, admiring her, even in her disheveled state.

 

She kneeled to the ground, reveling in his touch. “Callum, are you ok? I was so scared that I lost you.”

 

He sighed, “I can barely move my legs, Rayla. I don’t know what happened. One moment we were talking about our future, the next moment, I woke up here.”

 

Rayla could feel the anger rising again in the pit of her stomach. Her people had done this to him. They would pay.

 

“Oh Callum, I am so sorry. Elves did this to you. I am so, so sorry. I should have seen them, I should have stopped them.” Her eyes were downcast now, and she wouldn’t look a him.

 

Callum held her cheek as best he could and tilted her head to look at him.

 

“Rayla, this is not your fault. It’s the result of generations of hate our people have lobbed at each other. This mission was supposed to help…but I guess it didn’t really change anything.”

 

They both sighed. They had sacrificed so much to make this mission a success. Rayla betrayed her people and lost Runaan. Callum lost his parents and Ezran. What would happen to Ezran now? He was probably already in Katolis, overwhelmed by it all. He would need help, but Callum wouldn’t be there.

 

The sound of keys jangling unlocking a far away door broke the silence that had settled between them. Callum drew his hand back, leaning back against the wall. He didn’t want the guard to know that he could see and touch Rayla, she was likely the only person that could keep him sane if they were to be prisoners for any length of time.

 

An elf walked up to Callum’s cell. He stared with what must have been disgust at the human. Callum had never seen an elf like this before. Based on his feathers, wings, and oak looking horns, he was a Skywing.

 

When he spoke, his voice was soft, but amused, “It looks like that bug bite didn’t agree with you, Prince Callum. Can’t walk, can you?” The elf’s face twisted into a cruel smile, “I suppose it’s fitting. After all, you’ve killed thousands of my kind.”

 

Callum heard a crash in Rayla’s cell followed by a voice he didn’t quite recognize, “What on earth did you do to Callum?”

 

The Skywing rolled his eyes, “Nothing worse than you planned to do to him yourself, at one point. The spell I cast on that bug was only supposed to paralyze his legs for a few hours, like it did to yours. But, it was crafted for elves, not humans.” That evil smile returned, “Maybe he will walk again, maybe he won’t. Frankly, I do not care.”

 

Rayla’s next words were dripping with a combination of grief, rage, and something Callum couldn’t quite place. “I will kill you for this. Maybe not now, or anytime soon, but I will kill you for hurting him like this.” Callum shuddered. He knew Rayla, he knew the person he loved, and she was serious.

 

The Skywing chuckled, “Indeed you might. But for now, it is time for you both to meet the Dragon Queen. She will pass her final judgment on the lot of you.”

 

—

 

Callum was surprised when the Skywing unlocked their cells. Two guards had joined him to make sure Rayla didn’t pounce the first chance she got.

 

“Moonshadow, help the human walk to see the Dragon Queen. I don’t wish to lay my hands on such a disgusting creature,” he snarled.

 

Rayla came into his cell looking as if she was ready to kill them all. But she wouldn’t risk it, not with him in this condition. Instead, she gently grabbed his arm and tried to help him up.

 

Callum felt useless. Every time he tried to stand, his legs would try and ultimately buckle beneath him. But, Rayla steadied him, wrapping her left arm around his waist and steadying him with her right. This was good, at least. He could still stand and walk a bit. She looked briefly into his eyes. He could see the agony shifting in her deep violets. She blamed herself for this. He could also see the fury, buried deep behind the love she looked at him with.

 

“I love you,” Callum said, hoping to calm her.

 

Rayla softened almost immediately.

 

“I love you too, dumb prince,” she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. She didn’t care if these elves saw or looked down on her for being with a human. They would all be dead soon anyways.

 

“Disgusting. I personally hope the Dragon Queen kills you both. Let’s go.” He gestured to them to follow.

 

They fell in behind the monster. That is what he was, a monster, Rayla had determined. They began to ascend on a winding path. Rayla’s eyes kept darting for opportunities, openings that she could take advantage of. But there were none. She couldn’t risk Callum. She wouldn’t risk Callum. Not now. Not ever. Even if it meant they would spend the rest of their days in this wretched dungeon.

 

It took nearly twenty minutes until they reached level ground again. By this time, Callum was in pain. He could still barely feel his legs, but what he could feel was how tired they were. He grimaced with each step as Rayla shot him concerned glance after concerned glance. He wanted to be strong for her, he didn't want to burden her, but whatever they had done to him was going to take a long time to recover from.

 

If, he would recover.

 

That thought was almost too terrible to bare. How would he ever be able to escape this place if he could barely walk? He would tell Rayla to leave him. No doubt, she was already thinking of a way to get them both out of here. But he would be a burden to her, and Callum wanted her to be free from a burdened life.

 

After a few more minutes, they came to a stop in front of a giant pair of wooden doors. They were simple enough, but Callum could make out the faint engravings. He saw humans, elves, and dragons all fighting one another. Near the top of the door was the King and the Queen of the Dragons. It looked as if they were overseeing the expulsion of humans from Xadia.

 

 _So the Dragons were responsible for the split_.

 

“Well, this is where I leave you. Hopefully, the Dragon Queen sees reason and kills you both. You are too disgusting to exist in Xadia,” the Sky Wing elf snarled. Callum wondered why he hated them so much. He supposed it would be a story they would never hear.

 

With that, he turned around and the wooden doors creaked open.

 

\---

 

The room beyond the door was essentially a giant cave. Everything was carved from rock and stalactites hung from the ceiling hundreds of feet overhead. Every once in a while they would drip water onto the cave floor.

 

At the end of the room was the Dragon Queen herself. She was gigantic, no doubt, but not quite as large as Rayla had imagined. She could see some of the Dragon’s bones pushing up against her skin. It was as if she hadn’t been eating for some time.

 

As they approached, the Queen lifted her head.

 

“Human and Moonshadow. The world’s least likely pair. When they first told me of you two, I thought for sure the human had cast some sort of love spell on you. But I was wrong, this is much worse.” The Dragon Queen’s voice thundered in their minds. It was a strange feeling, hearing nothing, but understanding her words at the same time. As she spoke, their minds also flashed with emotions that were not entirely theirs. These words were delivered with particular disgust.

 

Callum spoke up first, “We came to deliver the Dragon Prince. He was wrongfully taken by the Dark Mage Viren and, as Prince of Katolis it was my duty to right that wrong. Rayla joined us on our mission to help reverse the thousand years of hate between our two peoples. Without her, I would not be alive, she is the sole reason we completed this mission.”

 

The Dragon chuckled in their minds, “You two are truly naive enough to think this changes anything?” Rayla and Callum’s faces sagged. “I am grateful that you returned my son, yes. But Thunder is still dead! Nothing changes that, nothing ever will. I haven’t declared war on the human race because I am merciful. I do not want hundreds of thousands to die for the death of my husband. But, the human royalty and one Moonshadow assassin? You are expendable.”

 

Rayla cleared her throat, knowing it was not her place to speak against the Queen, but choosing to do so anyways, “You should punish me for my sins, not Callum and Ezran. All they ever did was be related to Harrow. Harrow is dead, and the Dragon Prince is returned. There is no further need for their deaths.”

 

Callum grabbed her arm,“Rayla, no...”

 

“Callum,” she interrupted, “I’m doing this for you. Whatever it is they’ll put me through, I can take it. I just don’t want them to hurt you. I’ll _kill_ them if they hurt you.”

 

The Dragon Queen sent another thought of disgust their way, it felt as if she was rolling her eyes. She was getting ready to speak again, this would be their sentence.

 

A small cry escaped from the other side of the room. Rayla, Callum, and the Dragon Queen looked for the source of the noise. Before they knew it, Zym was flying across the cave. He landed on Callum and practically screeched at his mother.

 

For the first time, Callum could feel the impression he was sending to her. He was still a baby, but the feeling was obvious. It was love. He showed her every way they had helped him. How they taught him to fly, how they fed him, how they stroked his mane every night to help him fall asleep.

 

It was then that the Queen realized that this human and Moonshadow couple had so far been a better mother to her son than she had been able to be herself. She grumbled, somewhat defeated in her resolve.

 

“It is obvious that my son loves you both very much. It would not do to end you here and now.”

 

Rayla held on to Callum a little harder now, the next few words would decide their fate.

 

“You will both be sentenced to prison for forty years. I will allow you to occupy your current cells next to one another. But only so that you can feel a fraction of the pain I have felt. Moon Shadow, if what they say about your kind is true, you will feel the pain of watching your love deteriorate, and likely die, before the end of your sentence. I don’t imagine he is very strong at this point. Human, you might never see your brother again. Additionally, you will be starved of the touch you so intensely crave from your elvin love.”

 

Forty years. A lifetime of not being able to hold each other, kiss each other, sooth each other. It was a cruel sentence in that it was meant to be torture. Torture for a realtionship that the Dragon Queen found “disgusting.” Rayla was furious, it was so unfair. 

  
  
They both had tried to do the right thing, and here they were being punished for it. Rayla knew she couldn’t kill the Queen of the Dragons, but she hoped she would die, nonetheless.

 

“Careful Moonshadow, I am still connected to your thoughts. Now, leave me with my son. We will never see you again.”

 

Zym squawked in sadness at the implication. Before he flew away to his mom, he rested his tiny head on Callum’s. All at once, Callum was met with the emotions that Zym was feeling and three words, “Listen for me.”

 

With that, they separated and Rayla helped Callum back to the door and prison cell that awaited them both. And, if she held on a little tighter and walked a little slower, no one seemed to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end....of this work...but just the beginning of what I have planned. The next work will focus on their time together in prison, and what comes after.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has supported me as I’ve written this fic. Also a special shout out to Lodke, Decorated_Expression, Deh_Peh and SeaWitch. You all have given me so much inspiration through your own fics and writing. I cannot thank you enough. 
> 
> It truly means the world to me. I hope you’ll stick with me as I develop the next one. It should be out next week!


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